CALGARY, Alta. – Seven candidates for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team will travel to Vierumäki, Finland from July 12-19 to participate in the 2014 IIHF Women’s High Performance Camp, which will feature 16 countries coming together to help grow the female game globally.

The 2014 IIHF Women’s High Performance Camp is the third phase of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s strategic development plan to improve women’s hockey worldwide, both on and off the ice.

The Canadian players who will be participating in the 2014 IIHF Women’s High Performance Camp include:

Kristen Campbell (Brandon, Man./Shaftesbury School, CAHS)

Kate Friesen (Altona, Man./Pembina Valley, MFMHL)

Jaycee Gebhard (Plenty, Sask./Notre Dame, JWHL)

Ryleigh Houston (Winnipeg, Man./Balmoral Hall School, JWHL)

Melissa Hunt (Hartney, Man./Westman, MFMHL)

Sheridan Oswald (MacGregor, Man./Central Plains, MFMHL)

Marie-Jo Pelletier (Dalhousie, N.B./Rothesay Netherwood School, CAHS)

Eighteen Canadians will also be attending the 2014 IIHF Women’s High Performance as staff, including Melody Davidson (Oyen, Alta.), Hockey Canada’s general manager of national women’s team programs, who will serve as assistant camp director. In addition, former Olympians, Isabelle Chartrand (Anjou, Que.) and Sarah Vaillancourt (Sherbrooke, Que.) will serve as athlete ambassadors. The assistant coaches from Canada’s 2014 Olympic gold medal-winning National Women’s Team, Danielle Goyette (St-Nazaire, Que.) and Lisa Haley (Westville, N.S.), will serve as mentor coaches during camp, as will the assistant coaches from Canada’s 2014-15 National Women’s Team, Tim Bothwell (Vancouver, B.C.) and Dwayne Gylywoychuk (Winnipeg, Man), and former National Women’s Team coaches Margot Page (Stevensville, Ont.) and Peter Smith (Lachine, Que.). Two other staff members from the 2014-15 National Women's Team, Heather Corliss (Kelowna, B.C.), will serve as athletic trainer mentor and Joe Johnston (Lower Sackville, N.S.), will serve as goalie coach.

“Hockey Canada is excited to once again take part in the IIHF Women’s High Performance Camp by sending some of our top young players and most knowledgeable leaders and mentors in the female game,” Davidson said. “These camps have been and will continue to be crucial in creating more parity among participating nations and improving women’s hockey overall.”

This year’s camp is part of several global development projects taking place as part of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s commitment to narrowing the women’s hockey gap between North America and the rest of the world.